InformationExmouth Placemaking: Revised Plan Consultation
This version reflected feedback from earlier consultation, officers, Members and partners. We asked whether residents and visitors agreed or disagreed with each action under the strategic objectives and leave comments outlining their reasons.
Your input will help shape the final EPP for Exmouth. The consultation closed at 11am on 16 December 2025.
Exmouth Placemaking Plan 2025 pdf
Have Your Say Today - Exmouth Placemaking: Revised Plan Consultation - Commonplace
Consultation summary report
This consultation summary explains what people told us during the public consultation on the Exmouth Placemaking Plan (EPP). The consultation asked residents and visitors whether they agreed or disagreed with the proposed actions in the draft Plan and invited them to explain their views in their own words.
The summary brings together all responses received, showing overall levels of support and the main themes raised in comments. It provides a clear, transparent record of what people said and how this feedback will be used to inform the final version of the Plan.
Summary of changes to the plan that were consulted on
The workshops with members and officers from EDDC, ETC and DCC has informed the proposed changes to the EPP and SOBC. The consensus is to make the revised Placemaking Plan more of a guiding framework, setting direction and aspirations and creating a suite of complementary and compatible project opportunities to be taken forward when opportunities to attract funding or investment arise. The feedback also helped confirm the priority actions to take forward, some revised actions and some additional actions. Of the original 39 actions, 12 have been removed or merged, 3 added and 9 revised.
The six Strategic Objectives in the original EPP will be reduced to five – through the merging of Strategic Objectives 4 and 5, which overlapped and had duplicate aims and actions. Both focus on promotion of more active lifestyles, delivered through a combination of improvements to walking and cycling, and making the most of existing activities that support more active lifestyles for all ages. The table below summarises the proposed changes to EPP projects.
Strategic Objective / Action |
Change |
Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Harness land availability for development and tourism opportunities | ||
| 1.1 Redefine the role and offer of the town centre | Revised | Changed emphasis -effective use of assets |
| 1.2 Create opportunities for sports tourism along the seafront | Removed | Response to feedback – already well provided |
| 1.5 Repurpose the Pavilion site for an improved sports facility | Removed | Response to feedback – need to improve not remove |
| 1.6 Reimagine Foxholes car park into an arts and culture hub | Removed | Response to feedback – wrong location |
| 1.7 Attract investment in facilities providing training and skills to increase employment opportunities | Removed | Not the role of the placemaking plan |
| 2. Create a connected and continuous public realm to strengthen relationship between the town centre / seafront | ||
| 2.2 Pedestrianise Queens Drive between Foxholes and Orcombe | Removed | Response to feedback – don’t want to lose parking |
| 2.4 Create a sequence of public spaces within the town | Revised | Merged with 2.9 – which addresses the overall public realm strategy |
| 2.5 Improve the setting of the Methodist Church | Removed | Response to feedback – not in public realm |
| 2.7 Redesign the Esplanade public realm | Revised | Merged with 2.8 – which addresses the redesign of the public realm of the whole seafront |
| 2.10 Unlock the Pier Head Car Park to create public space | Removed | Response to feedback – not in public realm |
| 2.11 Provide drinking water, toilets and changing rooms | Revised | Changed emphasis – support provision by businesses |
| 2.12 Commission shop front design strategy | Revised | Changed emphasis – update existing |
| 2.8 Strand refresh – address wear and tear | Added | Action needed to address legacy issue |
| 4. Promote an active lifestyle offer in the town centre and seafront for all age groups | ||
| 4.3 Develop a cluster approach to sports offer at Side Shore | Removed | Response to feedback – already well provided |
| 5. Rationalising traffic movement and on-street car parking on the seafront | ||
| 5.1 Rationalising traffic movement and on-street car parking on the seafront | Revised | 5.1 / 5.2 / 5.3 merged to remove duplication and overlap |
| 5.2 Create opportunities for active travel in the town centre | Revised | Merged with 5.1 |
| 5.3 Create a continuous network that promoted active travel | Revised | Merged with 5.1 |
| 5.4 Explore the potential for a Park and Ride system | Revised | Updated to focus on use of existing rail service |
| 5.5 Consolidate and increase parking capacity in 3 key car parks | Removed | Response to feedback – surface parking preferred |
| 5.6 Explore potential to convert a section of parallel parking | Removed | Response to feedback – should form part of more holistic review covered by revised 5.1 |
| 5.7 Explore potential to introduce a section of one-way traffic on the seafront | Removed | As above |
| 5.8 Full segregation of cyclists and pedestrians on seafront | Removed | As above |
| 6. Enhance and celebrate the rich biodiversity and natural assets of Exmouth | ||
| 6.4 Develop a green infrastructure strategy for Exmouth | Added | Response to feedback – priority for all stakeholders |
| 6.5 Support the creation of a green infrastructure partnership | Added | As above |
Strategic Outline Business Case
The Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) was commissioned by East Devon District Council (EDDC), to support delivery of the Exmouth Placemaking Plan (EPP).
You can view the full SOBC here Exmouth Placemaking Plan Strategic Outline Business Case September 2025.pdf
The purpose of the SOBC is to articulate the strategic narrative and need for the identified high to medium priority interventions that sit within the Exmouth Placemaking Plan (EPP).
The SOBC articulates why UK Government, EDDC and other public funding support is needed, and provides proposals to support growth and attract investment in Exmouth in support of the EPP.
It tests the economic case against four options
1.No intervention - (business as usual);
2.Do minimum - Improve wayfinding around Exmouth: Commissioning a signage strategy, provision of information boards at the Maer etc and creation of hubs within the town centre to improve linkages with wider walking and cycling networks;
3.Do moderate - Improve the quality of place using existing assets: in addition to option 2, enhance tourism experience by maximising heritage trails, strengthening existing events spaces, enhance walking and cycling measures, improve the look and feel of the town centre and update t he existing shop-front design strategy.
4.Do Maximum - Create new spaces and destinations through transformative projects: in addition to options 2 &3, commission public realm design strategy and interventions to create new development opportunities.
The identified high to medium priority interventions aim to deliver three broad aspects of placemaking:
1.Improving wayfinding around Exmouth, for example through the provision of better signage and information boards;
2.Improving the quality of place using Exmouth’s existing assets (e.g. promoting public art to complement heritage buildings, strengthening existing recreational spaces); and,
3.Creating new spaces and destinations through transformative projects (e.g. unlocking new public spaces and redesigning the public realm in some areas of Exmouth).
Alignment of Options with Key EPP Themes (Economic Case)
Recommended Option
Option 3 ‘Do Moderate – Improving quality of place using existing assets’ is the best performing option. The option performs best for the following reasons:
?This option comprises a combination of initiatives that focus on improving wayfinding around Exmouth and improving the quality of place using Exmouth’s existing assets.
?The Strategic Case has shown in detail that the menu of high to medium priority interventions is strongly aligned with East Devon District Council’s priorities for 2024-2028, with the Emerging Local Plan for 2020-2040, and finally with the Devon County Council Plan 2021-2025.
?The investment strategy that accompanies this and other documents as part of the Exmouth Placemaking Plan shows that there is potential for some of the interventions to be funded or part-funded through a combination of Exmouth Town Council CIL funding, potential reprioritisation of existing East Devon and Devon County Council budgets, private investment and top up funding from grants such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund where appropriate.